


Another Birthday Surprise (or a Surprise Birthday)

by QueenThayet



Category: Consulting Magic Series - Amy Crook
Genre: Birthday, Fluff, Gift Fic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-06
Updated: 2020-06-06
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:14:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24564436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenThayet/pseuds/QueenThayet
Summary: Julian forgot about his birthday but his friends and family won't let him down.
Relationships: Julian St. Albans/Alexander Benedict
Comments: 6
Kudos: 5





	Another Birthday Surprise (or a Surprise Birthday)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [dreamerfreak](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreamerfreak/gifts).



> This was requested as a gift by wishopenastar for dreamerfreak's birthday. This is one of my favorite series of books, so I was happy to write another fluffy fic for our tiny fandom!

“Hello,” Julian answered his phone with one hand while attempting to finish repotting the lemon balm with the other.

“Hello, little brother!” Emmeline’s voice rang out from the speaker.

“Hi Emmy, how are you?” Julian answered, genuinely happy to hear from his sister. He and Alex had been so busy lately, flitting between their house in the city, their cottage, and the fairylands to complete their various duties. This morning in his own garden was the first chance he’d had in ages to even breathe, so he was trying to make up for several weeks of neglect.

“Oh I’m fine. I just wanted to wish you a happy birthday and see if we should bring anything tonight.”

Julian’s brain tried to make sense of the words he’d just heard.

“Oh, shit, is today my birthday? It totally is, isn’t it.”

Emmeline laughed. “How did you forget your own birthday?”

“We’ve been busy,” Julian said defensively. “We haven’t planned anything, so it would be lovely if you came over tonight. I’ll let Alex know and check with Alys to see if she’d like you to bring anything.”

“Wonderful,” Emmeline said, still chuckling a little bit. “We’ll see you tonight, then!”

Julian finished his work in the garden and went inside to wash the dirt off his hands and find his husband.

Alex’s workroom was closed with a warning not to disturb him, so Julian sent him a text to say that Emmeline and Phineas were coming over for his birthday dinner this evening, and then went to find Alys.

“I know this is last minute and I don’t expect you to perform miracles, but it’s my birthday today and I kind of forgot about it,” Julian said sheepishly. “I was thinking we could have Emmy and Phin over for dinner. Nothing fancy, but it would be nice to mark the day, now that I’ve been reminded of it.”

Nat looked confused and began to speak. Alys elbowed him in the ribs and said “Of course, my sweet lad, don’t you worry about a thing!”

Julian smiled in gratitude and then went to the conservatory to assure those plants that he had not abandoned them, and to deal with any issues that had cropped up in his absence. He sent his magic out into his plants to check in with all of them, while Horace perched on his shoulder and preened his hair. 

He got lost in his work until Alys’s disembodied voice floated into the conservatory reminding him of the time.

“You’ll want to wash up and get that dirt off you at least before your guests arrive,” she said tartly.

“Of course,” Julian said, going to do as ordered.

He washed and dressed quickly and emerged to find Alex, Emmeline, and Phineas all waiting in the parlour, as well as James and Jacques, and Murielle and Thomas.

“Happy Birthday!” they said as he entered the room.

“Oh, this is lovely!” Julian exclaimed. “How ever did you get everyone here on such short notice?”

Murielle gave him a confused look and said, “Alex invited us two weeks ago. That’s plenty of notice for a dinner party.”

Julian gaped and looked at Alex, who was smiling sheepishly. “Surprise!”

“I can believe you let me forget my own birthday!” Julian said, hugging Alex and playfully licking his nose.

“I didn’t realize you’d completely forgotten it until Emmy called to tell me that you had no idea. And then it just seemed more fun to keep it a surprise,” Alex confessed.

“Is that why you were hiding in your lab all day?”

“Partly, but mostly I was trying to get caught up on work, and I needed to finalize these,” Alex handed Julian a large box.

Julian unwrapped it to find three stasis globes for his plants.

“I tinkered around and came up with something a little different,” Alex explained, “they don’t just keep plants in stasis. Instead, they respond to the plant to provide whatever sort of environment it needs so it can continue growing on schedule. It’s no substitute for your actual care, of course, but I thought it would be useful for months like this where we’re so busy that you don't get to spend the time in your garden that you want. That way you don’t have to choose between keeping growth and flowering and such on schedule, and potentially neglecting the plants.”

“Alex, they’re brilliant!” Julian exclaimed, gently setting the box down and pulling Alex in for a thorough kiss. “These are exactly what I needed, thank you.”

“Well if we’re doing presents now...” Emmy interrupted them before it got too heated and shoved her own small box into Julian’s hands.

Julian joyfully opened his gifts from his friends and family, his heart filled to bursting that everyone had remembered his birthday, even when he’d been so busy and overwhelmed that he’d forgotten. And Alex, who was just as busy and overwhelmed, had planned this lovely party for him.

“You’re the best husband in the world,” Julian said, breaking from his reverie.

Alex looked up from his soup, a light and creamy version of potato and leek that was one of Julian’s favorites.

“I’d hate to disagree with the birthday boy, but obviously I have the best husband in the world,” Alex said, smiling.

Julian blushed and revelled in how much he was loved.


End file.
